These soft and chewy No-Bake Oat Bars are the easiest granola bar you'll ever make. Made with just 3 simple ingredients that you probably already have at home, these come together in minutes and are a healthier alternative to store-bought granola bars, and so incredibly tasty.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I love this recipe because of just how ridiculously easy it is to make and meal prep ahead of time for a delicious and nutritious breakfast bar or mid-day snack. They give me just the right energy boost I need to keep me feeling full for a few hours. What makes them such a big hit?
- Wholesome ingredients - made with nutritious, whole foods, unlike store-bought granola bars that are often filled with refined sugars and artificial additives.
- Easily customizable - mix in your favourite ingredients and toppings to create fun and unique flavours, or customize it to accommodate your dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, etc.).
- Kid-friendly - kids love this recipe, and because of its simplicity, they can help you make it too!
- No baking required - no need to heat up the kitchen by turning on the oven! I can't stress enough times how easy these are to make.
- Addictively delicious - trust me, you'll be surprised just how tasty these are for how easy they are to make.
Ingredients
Please see recipe card below for exact quantities.
- Oats - I prefer using old-fashioned rolled oats for their chewier texture, but quick oats can work here as well. Steel cut oats won't work for this recipe.
- Honey - I like using honey for this recipe but any sticky sweetener will work here (maple syrup, agave nectar, etc.).
- Natural peanut butter - while you can use other nut butters (such as almond or cashew) or seed butters for a nut-free alternative (such as sunflower seed butter), just make sure they have a runny and drippy consistency to make it easy to mix.
- Salt (optional) - add a pinch of salt to bring the flavours out if you like!
Add-Ins and Toppings
This recipe is so easy to customize with different ingredients to create your own flavour combinations. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Nuts and seeds - you can use whatever nuts and seeds you like, either chopped or whole. They're a great way to add in some healthy fats, important nutrients, and crunchy texture!
- Dried fruits - I love adding raisins, dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a chewy and sweet mix-in.
- Coconut flakes - for adding a sweet and crunchy texture.
- Chocolate chips - to add a little rich, chocolatey fun. Mini chocolate chips work best here. You can also melt them for a chocolate drizzle topping!
- Spices - a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg helps add some deliciously warm and cozy spiciness.
- Vanilla extract - a little goes a long way in adding some delicious vanilla flavour.
- Protein powder - for a boost of protein, I like adding in unflavoured protein powder but you can use whatever flavour you like.
Instructions
STEP 1: Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (Tip: if adding a pinch of salt, mix it with the oats first before adding in the wet ingredients)
STEP 2: Give it a good, thorough mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
STEP 3: Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking tray with parchment paper. Clip the edges in place with binder clips to prevent moving.
STEP 4: Pour the mixture into baking tray, and flatten it with a spatula. Make sure to press it down firmly to remove any air gaps. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
STEP 5: When it's ready, remove the hardened oats mixture from the baking tray and place it onto a cutting board.
STEP 6: Cut it into squares or rectangular bars in your preferred size. I typically slice this into 12 square bars. Enjoy!
Storage
You can store this away in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to use an airtight container with a sealable lid to maximize freshness and extend the shelf life. My personal favourite are these Rubbermaid containers which have sealable, stackable lids and are freezer safe - I use these for all of my meal prep.
Toasty's Tips
- Make sure to press the mixture down firmly into the baking tray to remove any air gaps - this will help the ingredients bind together into a dense bar. You can use a flat spatula, or layer a sheet of parchment paper on top of the mixture and press down with the bottom of a mason jar for more pressure.
- Clip the edges of the parchment paper onto the baking tray using binder clips; this will prevent it from moving and shifting around.
- Mix the dry ingredients first, followed by the wet ingredients. This will ensure the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Boost the nutrition - add in your favourite superfoods (chia seeds, flax seed, etc) or supplements to give these a big nutritional boost!
- Make it vegan or gluten-free - use gluten-free oats for a GF recipe, make it vegan with maple syrup instead of honey, or use seed butter instead of nut butter for a nut-free recipe. It's easily customizable!
FAQ
I added some mix-ins and now it's too difficult to mix. What should I do?
If you find the mixture too thick and difficult to mix after adding in extra dry ingredients (such as protein powder), you'll just need to adjust the consistency by adding in a splash of milk (honey and nut butter can work too). Add in small increments at a time, and mix until you've found the right consistency.
Do I really need to refrigerate these before cutting into them? I don't want to wait!
Yes, make sure to let it sit in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before cutting. The magic happens in the fridge where the mixture hardens and binds - it's an important part of the process, so resist the temptation to cut into it too quickly!
My peanut butter and honey aren't drippy anymore. What do I do?
I recommend using a relatively fresh batch of natural nut or seed butter, and honey - they'll be runny and drippy in texture, and much easier to mix with. However, nut butters and honey can harden or crystallize over time especially once opened - if that's the case, you can heat them up first before mixing them with the other ingredients. Heating it will allow for a thinner consistency.
Other No-Bake Oat Bar Flavours to Try
Check out these other easy and delicious No-Bake Oat Bar recipes:
📖 Recipe
No-Bake Oat Bars (3 Ingredients)
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (Tip: if adding a pinch of salt, mix it with the oats first before adding in the wet ingredients)
- Give it a good, thorough mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking tray with parchment paper. Clip the edges in place with binder clips to prevent moving.
- Pour the mixture into baking tray, and flatten it with a spatula. Make sure to press it down firmly to remove any air gaps. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- When it's ready, remove the hardened oats mixture from the baking tray and place it onto a cutting board.
- Cut it into squares or rectangular bars in your preferred size. I typically slice this into 12 square bars. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- Video: Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Storage: You can store this away in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use an airtight container with a sealable lid for freshness.
- Make sure to press the mixture down firmly into the baking tray to remove any air gaps - this will help the ingredients bind together into a dense bar. You can use a flat spatula, or layer a sheet of parchment paper on top of the mixture and press down with the bottom of a mason jar for more pressure.
- Clip the edges of the parchment paper onto the baking tray using binder clips; this will prevent it from moving and shifting around.
- Mix the dry ingredients first, followed by the wet ingredients. This will ensure the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Boost the nutrition - add in your favourite superfoods (chia seeds, flax seed, etc) or supplements to give these a big nutritional boost!
- Make it vegan or gluten-free - use gluten-free oats for a GF recipe, make it vegan with maple syrup instead of honey, or use seed butter instead of nut butter for a nut-free recipe. It's easily customizable!
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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